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How the Eric Staal Trade Still Haunts the Rangers

The Rangers made a mistake.

With the trade of Derek Stepan to the Arizona Coyotes prior to the NHL Entry Draft and the loss of Oscar Lindberg in the NHL Expansion Draft, the Rangers are missing some quality center depth - something that was considered a team strength for the past few seasons. Repeated swings and misses at winning the Stanley Cup have left the cupboards quite bare and the Hartford Wolfpack do not offer any viable options to fill the gaps. One huge miss was the Eric Staal trade that saw Finnish prospect Aleksi Saarela shipped to Carolina.

In case you’ve blocked the horrendous trade out of your memory, here’s a brief rundown. In 2015-2016, the Rangers traded Saarela and two second-round draft picks to the Carolina Hurricanes for Eric Staal. Staal was in the midst of one of the sharpest declines in the NHL at the time and had only 10 goals and 23 assists in 63 games with the Hurricanes at the time of the trade. It should come as no surprise, then, that he only was able to produce 3 goals and 3 assists in his 23 regular season games with the Rangers and a whopping zero points in the Rangers’ futile postseason run that year.

Aleksi Saarela—the Rangers’ third- round pick in 2015—was playing in the Finnish Liiga, Finland’s top league, at the time of the trade. From 2015 to 2017, he put up 35 goals and 26 assists 100 games. At the end of his 2016-2017 season with Lukko, the Hurricanes said, “Head West, young man.” Saarela reported to Charlotte for a brief stint with the Checkers of the AHL to close out the season. In those nine games, his first exposure to North American hockey, he had 6 goals and 4 assists.

With the trade of Derek Stepan to the Arizona Coyotes prior to the NHL Entry Draft and the loss of Oscar Lindberg in the NHL Expansion Draft, the Rangers are missing some quality center depth - something that was considered a team strength for the past few seasons. Repeated swings and misses at winning the Stanley Cup have left the cupboards quite bare and the Hartford Wolfpack do not offer any viable options to fill the gaps. One huge miss was the Eric Staal trade that saw Finnish prospect Aleksi Saarela shipped to Carolina.

In case you’ve blocked the horrendous trade out of your memory, here’s a brief rundown. In 2015-2016, the Rangers traded Saarela and two second-round draft picks to the Carolina Hurricanes for Eric Staal. Staal was in the midst of one of the sharpest declines in the NHL at the time and had only 10 goals and 23 assists in 63 games with the Hurricanes at the time of the trade. It should come as no surprise, then, that he only was able to produce 3 goals and 3 assists in his 23 regular season games with the Rangers and a whopping zero points in the Rangers’ futile postseason run that year.

Aleksi Saarela—the Rangers’ third- round pick in 2015—was playing in the Finnish Liiga, Finland’s top league, at the time of the trade. From 2015 to 2017, he put up 35 goals and 26 assists 100 games. At the end of his 2016-2017 season with Lukko, the Hurricanes said, “Head West, young man.” Saarela reported to Charlotte for a brief stint with the Checkers of the AHL to close out the season. In those nine games, his first exposure to North American hockey, he had 6 goals and 4 assists.

The trade was bad regardless of how Saalera turns out. With that said, he could have 895 points in one AHL season, and it means nothing. Throwing his stats up in the Finnish league and AHL is simply an attempt to point out the obvious and throwing wood on the fire. If he turns out to be a solid productive NHL player, it's just salt on the wound.

The AHL is, inarguably, the single best feeder league to predicting potential NHL success there is. Pointing out AHL success, especially in this case, reinforces the point that losing Saarela is going to hurt.

The AHL is, inarguably, the single best feeder league to predicting potential NHL success there is. Pointing out AHL success, especially in this case, reinforces the point that losing Saarela is going to hurt.

Losing 5 rolls of clear tape for Staal would hurt. Again, his production in the AHL in 9 games doesn't mean a whole lot until he proves himself consistently in the NHL. Like I said before, if he does well, it's just more salt on that deal wound.

Losing 5 rolls of clear tape for Staal would hurt. Again, his production in the AHL in 9 games doesn't mean a whole lot until he proves himself consistently in the NHL. Like I said before, if he does well, it's just more salt on that deal wound.

Sure, but the point is that given how well he performed in the Liiga and in his short AHL stint, it's pretty clear he'd be a front-runner to make the Rangers if they hadn't traded him away.

The AHL is, inarguably, the single best feeder league to predicting potential NHL success there is. Pointing out AHL success, especially in this case, reinforces the point that losing Saarela is going to hurt.

That is probably true or close to true but there are guys that perform well at the AHL level that do not carry that success to the NHL level. Too soon to tell about Saarela. Still a bad trade regardless.

I didn't get that one at the time and I never will. I mean, it wasn't even like the MSL or Yandle trades where we added a productive player and paid the price for it. We traded for the ghost of Eric Staal. He hadn't been relevant in probably close to 5 years. We didn't have any first rounders left, so we traded 2nd rounders and a good prospect. Great idea. And at the time, Saarela WAS already looking like a solid prospect. It isn't like we dealt him and he came out of nowhere to light the world on fire.

Just a dumb, dumb move. Given Gorton's track record since then, I'm inclined to believe he didn't have much say in that trade. I'm kind of thinking that was all Dolan and/or Slats. Gorton has shown that he covets having future assets.

I didn't get that one at the time and I never will. I mean, it wasn't even like the MSL or Yandle trades where we added a productive player and paid the price for it. We traded for the ghost of Eric Staal. He hadn't been relevant in probably close to 5 years. We didn't have any first rounders left, so we traded 2nd rounders and a good prospect. Great idea. And at the time, Saarela WAS already looking like a solid prospect. It isn't like we dealt him and he came out of nowhere to light the world on fire.

Just a dumb, dumb move. Given Gorton's track record since then, I'm inclined to believe he didn't have much say in that trade. I'm kind of thinking that was all Dolan and/or Slats. Gorton has shown that he covets having future assets.

It was a bad trade but I believe fans value 2nd round picks much more than NHL GMs in general especially low 2nd round picks. The odds of a low second round pick becoming a all star level player are very low. I'm shocked that a 32 year old Staal had 28 goals and 65 points last season. I would be more shocked if he repeats it this upcoming season. It is unlikely one of the second round picks we traded scores 65 points in a season.

It was a bad trade but I believe fans value 2nd round picks much more than NHL GMs in general especially low 2nd round picks. The odds of a low second round pick becoming a all star level player are very low. I'm shocked that a 32 year old Staal had 28 goals and 65 points last season. I would be more shocked if he repeats it this upcoming season. It is unlikely one of the second round picks we traded scores 65 points in a season.

But 65 points also isn't the measure of whether or not they're a success, and Staal didn't have that 65 points with us. If one of those second rounders could've turned out to be a replacement for Oscar Lindberg, that's still a HUGE loss. We're really hurting for centers right now.

The AHL is, inarguably, the single best feeder league to predicting potential NHL success there is. Pointing out AHL success, especially in this case, reinforces the point that losing Saarela is going to hurt.

is there any statistical evidence proving this? Not calling you out, just curious to see the numbers.

Yeah it was a shitty trade -- we think -- but the guy we're butt hurt about losing isn't even in the NHL yet. I'm more pissed about the two 2nd rounders.

Even still, how exactly is that trade still hurting the Rangers? Saarela's european numbers aren't exactly earth shattering and 9 AHL games isn't really worth shit. I could give you a never ending list of players who were AHL superstars that turn out to be complete duds in the NHL. Not saying this kids can't be good but why is this even coming up considering this happened two seasons ago? I guess I don't understand the point or the connection you're trying to make. How somehow the Staal trade is why we don't have Stepan or Lindberg.

But... we drafted two more centers, one of which may actually play this season. Saarela isn't in the league yet. Again, not sure that one has to do with the other. Seems a tenuous connection at best, just trying to dog a shitty trade. This article would make more sense halfway through the season when Saarela has 30 points in 45 games. As of now he's nothing and we have two better prospects.

But... we drafted two more centers, one of which may actually play this season. Saarela isn't in the league yet. Again, not sure that one has to do with the other. Seems a tenuous connection at best, just trying to dog a shitty trade. This article would make more sense halfway through the season when Saarela has 30 points in 45 games. As of now he's nothing and we have two better prospects.

You discredit Saarela because he isn't in the league yet, but then say we drafted Adnersson who may actually play this season...
You discredit Saarela's European numbers, then talk about the two better prospects we drafted that have worse European numbers...

Andersson and Chytil may very well be better than Saarela in a few years, but right now they are 18 and 17 respectively. Saarela is further along in his development. The article is true in that we'd be in a much more comfortable position if Saarela was still here right now.